November 19th, 2020
It had been too long since the last trip outside of our little bubble in the Midwest. Guatemala has become a second home in many ways, with a second family as well. A quick trip to some of our local haunts led to some great imagery as a hurricane left the region, leading to great atmospheric conditions. The photos here were taken standing almost in the same spot, and within minutes of each other. As any photographer knows though, when light is changing rapidly you can make an image look totally different than a scene just outside of the lens. Until next time, these memories will have to suffice.
Image details(top): Canon EOS R | f/10 | 1/60 sec | ISO 100
Image details(bottom): Canon EOS R | f/10 | 1/13 sec | ISO 100
October 3rd, 2020
A sunrise to ourselves. This lake was right in front of our amazing campsite. Hindsight we would have loved to have a couple nights there as it was located next to ample photographic opportunities, along with some gorgeous trout streams. Timing sunrise is one thing, being in the right spot when everything looks good is a whole different thing. I wanted to sit there and enjoy my coffee, but also be in three different places at once. I chose to share this one, as I believe it lets the viewer feel as if they are the one sitting there watching the morning light move across the landscape.
A sunrise and a moonrise. A long day. A wonderful close to our trip. Camping one more night before heading home we we got to enjoy a new sense of secluded serenity. Aspens were replaced by sage brush and cactus, mountains turned sandier, but the vibrant night sky stayed the same. The elk gave us a few more bugles as a final sendoff, bookmarking a great visit through Colorado.
Image details(top): Canon EOS R | f/13 | 1/25 sec | ISO 100
Image details(bottom): Canon EOS R | f/9 | 30 sec | ISO 1600
October 2nd, 2020
Southwest Colorado has some of the largest aspen groves, but capturing it in a compelling landscape wasn't easy. Many of the images I took of the aspen groves ended up being tossed out since it lacked a key subject matter. However, on this day while on a very long dusty gravel road the trees opened up enough to where I could get a clear shot of the mountains while having the strong presence of lit up aspens. The elements all have to align, and when they do it creates one of those rewarding memories.
Image details: Canon EOS R | f/8 | 1/80 sec | ISO 100
October 1st, 2020
Chimney Rock, an iconic formation that is visible in the original True Grit movie. I haven't seen it, but I'll assume it's true. Nonetheless, a wonderful place to throw down some burgers on the Coleman and wait for the light to get good. Setting up the tripod and snapping photos every twenty minutes or so allowed me to capture the breadth of lighting conditions and pick the best later.
Image details: Canon EOS R | f/13 | 1.3 sec | ISO 100
September 30th, 2020
Hiking into the aspens under the shadow of the Maroon Bells, led to overwhelming target confusion. The trees can look both unique and monotonous at the same time. I wanted to convey the confusion while finding a composition that would work artistically. Black and white took out the distraction of color, while the sea of vertical lines keeps the eye searching.
Image details: Canon EOS R | f/8 | 1/50 sec | ISO 200
September 29th, 2020
Maroon Bells, finally made it to arguably the most photographed mountains in Colorado. For good reason, as that even without the best photography conditions the mountains still were awe inspiring and photogenic. The aspens were at their peak, making for a wonderful foreground. Unfortunately, the iconic reflection image many go to shoot was not at its best given how low the lake is right now. Definitely a spot that is worth the hype and trouble to get to.
Image details: Canon EOS R | f/9 | 1/200 sec | ISO 400
September 28th, 2020
First night in Aspen, heading back from the scouting trip to Maroon Bells and we almost missed the best light. Looking behind us, the light opposite of the sunset provoked me to pull over. The moonrise added to the composition, while the elk on the edge of the aspen grove provided the audio entertainment. The bull elk bugling under the bright moon was a great way to be welcomed to Colorado.
Image details: Canon EOS R | f/8 | 1/60 sec | ISO 100